The Reason Why
by E. GoldSwan X
Summary: The reason why she had been brought to Narnia was simple and she had it right in front of herself the whole time. But her eyes were blind to the obvious, until the very last night of her stay in this strange land.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first Narnia AU story. Sorry to all Suspian fans! It's not like I don't ship these two together, I quite like them as a couple, actually. But I prefer to pair the male characters to my own OC, therefore this is Caspian/OC pairing. Contains fluffy stuff and the next chapter (which is going to be the last) shall be my first attempt at writing smut - gods! Thank you for reading and feel free to leave a comment or review but please, don't be too harsh on me :-)  
And of course I don't own the characters from the original storybook by C. S. Lewis.

 ** _Chapter 1 - Confessions_**

The moon was standing high at the dark night sky, its light beautifully reflecting on the calm surface of the sea. Thousands of stars were brightly shining down, delicately shimmering like the most precious diamonds hanging up above. The sea was humming softly as a wave after wave came slamming against the white sandy shore. Gentle summer breeze was rippling the warm air every now and then, making the girl's hair flutter around her head.

She was sitting on the white sand, right below the rock cliff and observing the breathtaking beauty of this strange land, enjoying these quiet moments she had managed to steal for herself. Her mind was buzzing with so many thoughts and unanswered questions and she had a feeling that some of them would haunt her for the rest of her life.

She sighed, sadness clouding her face as she realized that this was the last night here in Narnia for tomorrow they were all returning back to their world. She found it very unfair, this was the first night without otherwise pervasive worries about the upcoming battle which was now finally over. The first night when she could take a deep breath and look around. And it was going to be her last.

She could still hear the distant tones of music and sounds of people singing and laughing, celebrating their new king with endless glee. She was happy for them, being sure that Caspian would be a good king for the country and its inhabitants, both Telmarines and Narnians. It was obvious that the land had received its happy ending and she felt honored to be a witness of it all. There was no way she could say she was a part of it because honestly, she wasn't. She was not a queen nor a warrior and she hadn't done anything to ensure their victory. Even now she couldn't fathom why she had been brought here in the first place.

Staring far in the distance, somewhere beyond the horizon, and being burried deep in her thoughts she hadn't noticed a figure slowly approaching her.

"Haven't you enjoyed yourself at the celebration?" a male voice cut through the peaceful silence.

The girl jumped up on the instant, "Caspian." she breathed out. "You startled me."

The newly crowned king only smirked playfully, "Please accept my apology, lady Elise. I had no intention to do so."

"How many times do I have to remind you not to call me a lady. I have no such title in my world, nor here. I'm just.. Elise." she said rather sternly.

"I am really sorry, I tend to keep forgetting that." the king replied and offered her a hesitant smile, "You still have not answered my question."

"What?" Elise frowned in confusion.

"Why are you here and not up there? Did you not like the feast?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, the celebration.. well, yes, it's been fabulous but.. I.. uh, I just wanted to be alone for a while." she stuttered and casted her eyes down for a second before meeting his again. And when she did, she caught a glimpse of hurt or sadness crossing his features.

"I understand." he bowed in front of her. "I shall leave you to your quiet contemplation then." And he was about to turn around and march back to the party.

"No!" Elise cried out before he could make the move and she was probably equally surprised how desperate she sounded.

"I didn't mean it like that. I mean.. I didn't want you to go. But of course you can go if you want.." she mumbled in attempt to explain herself but failed miserably, her cheeks immediately turning a deep shade of red that she was sure even the dim light could reveal it.

Caspian's smile returned as he watched her fidgeting nervously. "I would love to stay for a while." he murmured and made a step closer.

Elise smiled widely at him and resumed sitting on the same spot as before, letting him join her. He was the reason why she would miss this land the most. She had always believed she was not a one to fall in love easily but the moment she had laid her eyes on this guy, she knew it had happened. Her heart had clenched in not a really unpleasant way and she had felt thousands of butterflies in her stomach. It was like she had been put under a magic spell. At that time he had been a prince. And now he was a king, while she was only an ordinary girl from London. She could have never been compared to the Pevensies, they were true royals, Elise had no doubt they had ruled Narnia before as Kings and Queens of Old, the era of their reign being one full of glory and prosperity.

"Are you still wondering why Aslan has brought you here?" the young king asked her when she had stayed silent for a way too long.

She turned her head to face him, "Yes. There seem to be no particular reason or purpose, at least I can't see any. It's obvious the Kings and Queens of Old came here to help you win the battle and get back your throne but I didn't participate, I didn't fight."

"You helped Queen Lucy." he countered with his head slightly tilted to a side, his dark hair a bit ruffled by the subtle wind.

A corner of Elise's lips quirked up in a bashful smile, he was so kind to her. And if it was possible, she thought she was falling even more in love with him for this quality of his.

"And what did Aslan talk to you about? Did he not try to imply any indication or reason?" Caspian questioned her further, his voice laced with hope.

"No. Not at all. But he said we all were to return to our world tomorrow." she answered honestly and scribbled some unknown patterns into the sand beside her absentmindedly.

"What?!" he blurted out and shook his head incredulously. "I thought.. last time the Kings and Queens visited Narnia, they stayed for years."

Elise only shrugged, she didn't know how to reply to his statement. "I wish we could stay for some time, too."

Upon listening to her words, king Caspian briskly stood up and looked positively alarmed. "I am very sorry, Elise, but you must excuse me now. I believe there are some things I need to get sorted out." And he bowed in front of her again but before he turned away, he had half-whispered, "Thank you for your very enjoyable company."

She only nodded and tried to give him an encouraging smile. She knew why he had decided to take the sudden leave. She was positive that the same feelings she harbored for him, he had for Queen Susan, the Gentle. And when he had learnt the awful truth about their impending departure, he hurried to spend the last precious hours with the queen of his heart.

When he was out of her sight, she turned back to the calm and peaceful horizon in front of her. It was soothing her nerves and troubled mind, though it wasn't able to moderate her growing heartache. Was it her destiny to always feel refused and useless? A lone tear escaped from the corner of her eye and she let it fall as she kept both her hands wrapped around her knees. She closed her eyelids but it didn't help, the vision of the Narnian king's handsome face still didn't want to go away. His warm, chocolate brown eyes. His genuine, bright smile. Which didn't belong to her.

Out of the blue she snapped her head up as a bug thought crossed her mind. She hadn't had a chance to ask him why he had left the party and come down here. Had he noticed her missing? Had he gone looking for her? No! That was absurd, right? But still.. she once again turned her head to the direction he had appeared to come from before. Her tricky mind started to play over some particular scenes of their earlier encounter, mercilessly filling her aching heart with a pathetic hope. What if..?

She sprang up to her feet, her breathing becoming heavy and uneven that she felt an urge to put a clutching hand to her chest. Suddenly feeling brave as never before, she grabbed her shoes by the other hand and took off running back to the castle. The skirt of her light and loose white gown rustled as she was sprinting, the blue corset growing more and more tight as she breathed, the long and wide sleeves of the same white and light texture were creating an effect of butterfly wings. As she rapidly neared her destination, her cheeks were turning red, almost matching the colour of her long and rich hair which was now wildly bouncing around her shoulders and recoiling on her back. But she didn't care about her looks at that moment. The desire to reveal her true feelings to the man she had come to love kept her moving on a steady speed and completely careless to her surroundings. She needed to do it now or she was afraid of losing the courage for ever.

When she reached the courtyard, the celebration was still in a full swing. She decided to take a short break and catch her breath.

It hadn't taken long before Queen Lucy approached her, briefly taking in Elise's appearance. "Are you alright, Elise? What happened?" she asked with her sweet childish voice, now clearly filled with a concern for her well-being.

"Y-yes. Yes. Lucy.." she stuttered in between sharp intakes of breath. "Please. Where is Caspian?"

"Try to look for him in a throne room. Did anything happen that we should know about?" the girl's voice sounded somehow shaky.

"Oh no, not at all. Don't worry, I just need to speak to him, that's all." Elise managed to say intelligibly and rewarded Lucy with a happy grin. Then she hiked up her skirt again and set on running again.

As she came close enough to the great hall, also referred to as a 'throne room', she registered the huge mahogany door was half open and to her delight she could hear Caspian's melodious voice coming from inside. Her heart rejoiced and quickened its already boisterous rhythm of beating. She didn't want to wait to get her breathing under control and so she bursted into the spacious room right away.

"Caspian!" she called out his name instead of using his royal title which would be perhaps more appropriate. Looking around frantically, she spotted him standing in the shadows of the room's archway and already turning towards her.

"Elise." he whispered, quite surprised to see her there and made a step closer to her.

She also dashed forward, panting heavily, her cheeks visibly flushed from her earlier sprint. "Caspian, I must tell you.." but she didn't finish her sentence for someone just cleared his throat and a second later the Gentle Queen came to the fore from behind the young king.

"Oh!" Elise exhaled sharply, her eyes swaying from the king to the queen and back. When she had heard his voice coming from inside the room before, she had assumed that he had been preparing his speech or something and now she was taken aback by the queen's presence. "Susan, I.." she started but let the words trail off as her eyes began watering. Feeling terribly embarrassed, when the realization dawned on her as to what she most probably had interrupted, she quickly turned on her heels and literally fled from the room.

Once out in the vast and dimly lit castle's corridors, she let the tears freely stream down her face, an immense pain clenching her heart in a mocking vice-like grip. How could she have been so stupid? To think that the King of Narnia might have returned her feelings! She should have known better and spare herself this great amount of embarrassment. She made it safely to her quarters and closed the door with a loud thud, leaning against the wooden gate with her palms placed on it on each side of her body for better support.

"Elise?" she heard a male voice from outside, followed by a light knock. She instantly jumped away from the door and gawked at it incredulously.

"Elise, may I come in?" Caspian's raspy voice pleaded with her, it became obvious that he had run after her the whole time.

She didn't say a word and instead of opening, she backed away from the entrance to her room. She had no desire to face the man in her current state of disarray. Upon hearing the click of the door's handle, she swiftly turned her back on it.

"Elise, please.." he began. "What did you want to tell me back there in the throne room? You sounded very urgent." he spoke to her softly but kept standing at the doorway, not daring to invade her personal space, though he was a very king of the castle and therefore able to do as he pleased but when it came to Elise, he acted more like a man uncertain of his position in the young woman's life.

"It's not important anymore." she replied coldly still with her back on him but her quiet sniffles gave her away, she was crying.

"But I really would like to know." he wasn't going to give up so easily.

"I would suggest you to go back down and spend the time you've got left with Queen Susan instead of wasting the precious minutes on me, Your Majesty." she spilled the words out of her mouth without thinking, new teardrops treavelling across her cheeks. Then she sensed his footsteps coming a little bit closer to her and a wave of shiver washed over her.

"Well, I.. as much as I respect and admire the Gentle Queen, my heart belongs to another. But for some reason she is not able to see it." the king said wistfully, waiting patiently for her to turn around and look into his eyes. Then she would understand.

Elise tilted her head to a side and over her shoulder she mumbled, "Believe me, whoever it is, she is a lucky woman."

"Then why is she crying?" came his prompt response and he could swear that her body jerked on the instant. For a short while she stood there like frozen but then she spun around, her eyes red and puffy from crying, face smeared with tears and her eyes held the most hopeful gaze.

Caspian briefly studied her, realizing she had never looked more radiant. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips and when he locked his eyes with hers, he was sure all his emotions reflected there as hers reflected in her beautiful green orbs, too. Soon a hesitant smile bloomed on her face as well and she flung herself into his arms, almost knocking him down in the process but he was strong enough to balance both of them. She rested her head on his chest, holding him tight and he happily returned the embrace, keeping the woman he loved in the safe circle of his arms. And they had remained like that for a long moment before Elise withdrew from him just a little bit, looking up at him.

"That is what I wanted to tell you in the throne room." she murmured, her voice still slightly hoarse.

"What?" Caspian's brows furrowed in confusion.

"I wanted to tell you about my feelings for you." she admitted shyly, averting her eyes for a brief moment before locking them with his once again.

"As I said, I still would like to hear that." he declared, grinning contentedly now.

Elise let out a small chuckle, "Why now, you already know."

His hold on her suddenly tightened and he kissed the crown of her head tenderly, "Please, tell me."

She could feel his heartbeat had sped up as he waited for her confession. "I love you." she conceded finally, the words and its revelation made her feel incredibly lighthearted.

"I love you too." he whispered into her hair, then loosened his grip in anticipation of her looking up again and when she did, he leaned down ever so slowly, pressing his lips onto hers in a soft and gentle kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So here is the second chapter (but yeah, not the last one, I'm sorry). I'd like to thank you, Ceara, for taking your time to give me some feedback on this story, it's really appreciated! :x I hope I can consider your wish for a little more background on Elise as granted with this chapter :) And yes, I tend to ship my own OC with the particular male characters and I simply ship her with Caspian so if I write another story with him, she'll most probably make an appearance too. And one more thing, I've changed the rating to M, just for the general clarification, Caspian is 20 and Elise is 18 in this story. Now enough of me blah, blah, blah! The chapter is awfully long, sorry! :x

 ** _Chapter 2 - Belts and Laces_**

They both wore the same happy smile when they parted, the confessions had been made and both of them felt relieved that they didn't have to hide their feelings anymore.

"Would you like to return to the party?" Caspian asked as he took her hand in his, placing a delicate kiss on her knuckles.

Elise just cringed her nose at the suggestion, slightly shaking her head. "I would much prefer to stay here."

"Me too." he murmured softly, still refusing to let go of her hand as their eyes locked together in an intense stare for like a hundred time that evening.

Elise then broke apart, withdrawing her hand from his along the way. "But they will be looking for you." she advised woefully.

"Who?" he gave her a puzzled look.

She only chuckled, "Everybody."

Caspian inhaled deeply and after that slowly breathed out. "I believe they all will understand their king become pretty tired." he smirked in triumph but Elise's face went blank. "Yes, we had better go to sleep and get ready for tomorrow." The anguish and despair due to her leaving returned with full force and she moved even more away from him. Twirling her arm around one of the four posters of her bed she firmly gripped the wood and leaned her head against it, trying hard to keep the fresh tears at bay.

It had taken him a couple of seconds before he registered the meaning of her words which then prompted him to rush to her side and grab her waist to make her turn around and face him. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and she attempted to fake a smile.

Caspian tenderly brushed away a rebellious teardrop from her cheek, "Elise, can't you see? This is the reason why you have been brought here." She was gazing up at him, expectantly. "The land needed its rightful king. And now, the king needs his beloved queen."

Elise let out a small laugh of relief, everything made sense now, it was like all the pieces of the great puzzle had clicked together at that moment. He pulled her closer into a loving embrace. "I won't let you go, my love. If that is what you truly wish." She leaned back a little, offering him her most genuine smile, "Caspian, there is nothing I wish more than to stay here, with you."

He wasn't able to hold back any longer and leaned down to seize her mouth with another kiss. But this time he seemed to be more eager and urgent. Elise parted her lips for him and captured his lower lip with both of hers, gently sucking on it. She could feel him smile into the kiss before he mimicked her actions and soon their kissing became more intense and passionate. Her tongue slipped into his mouth which took him by surprise but it only encouraged him to give in to his desire and to try out his own tricks. Their tongues began to dance together, swirling against each other, alternately battling for dominance. Their breathing became ragged and when they eventually parted, they both were panting from the load of mutual excitement.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Elise asked just above a whisper, her voice raspy from the lack of air in her lungs.

A wide and hopeful grin was plastered on Caspian's face when she had said that, "I just wanted to ask you the same question."

They stared at each other in utter silence, their eyes continuing the conversation instead. Elise bit her lip as she had started to blush profusely and burried her face into his chest in attempt to hide it from him.

"You don't have to feel shy in front of me, my love. I won't do anything you would not want me to do, you know." he reassured her while gently stroking her back.

She turned her head slightly but did not dare to look up, "But what if I want you to do it?"

"Then please know I am ready to satisfy all your heart's desires." he declared resolutely.

She met his eyes at last, "Shouldn't it be the other way around? You are the king here, after all." and her orbs sparkled with glee.

He was looking down at her, his face grew a bit more serious when he spoke, "My dear Elise, with you I am only a man in love. A mere slave to my own heart which now lays completely in your hands."

Elise reached up to caress his cheek, "What have I done to deserve a man like you?"

He covered her hand with his and took it to his lips. Kissing her hand devotedly, he vowed, "I promise you I will always try to be the man you deserve."

She placed the other hand onto his chest as well, slowly reaching for the collar of his silky golden-white shirt to pull him down for yet another kiss. He happily obeyed and they once again got lost in each other. While still kissing, Elise's hands travelled down his torso to the belt which he wore over his long velvet golden-grey tunic. She fumbled with the fastener but it just did not want to let go. She broke the kiss and pulled away, groaning in frustration. Caspian was merely amused by her demeanor but if she had taken a better look, she could have seen the slight blush creeping up his neck and cheeks.

"Stupid belt!" she scoffed in exasperation and crossed her arms in front of herself. This wasn't the way she had pictured it should have been. Everything should be perfect and go smoothly, right?

He chuckled, peering at her with his head bowed as he was working on unfastening his belt. Once the task was done, he tossed the accessory aside and took her hands to pull her back to his body. "All better now, hm?" he kissed her forehead.

"Not sure. If it's going to continue like this, we will spend the rest of the night just taking off our clothes." she grumbled in disappointment.

He had to let out another chuckle at her last statement, she would probably never cease to amaze him. "Then what do you suggest, my love?"

"I-I don't know." she muttered, bemused.

"We will figure it out, together." he advised in a whisper right above her ear. Then he slightly pushed her away only to remove his tunic and undo his vest which he also took off afterwards, his boots followed next.

"Gods, you've got so many layers on! It must be too warm to wear." she pointed out while observing his collection of clothes.

Caspian, now standing in front of her only in his loose and open shirt and neat pants, just shrugged his shoulders, "Not at all. I am quite used to it."

And he closed the gap between them once again, feeling the need to have another taste of her mouth. She kissed him back lovingly and soon her hands began to act on their own accord, sneaking up to the back of his neck and into his thick yet silky smooth hair. She very much enjoyed the feeling when her fingers combed through his dark mane and she didn't fail to notice that his hands started to be more exploring as well.

Being aware of the growing need and tension within her, she slowly moved her hands back down and hiked up his shirt as to get to the fastening of his trousers but she was met with a familiar obstacle, a belt. Her efforts came to a halt and she felt Caspian grinning while his mouth was still on hers. All too soon he withdrew from her, snickering.

"Seriously?" she huffed but joined him in the soft laughter anyway.

Caspian then eagerly pulled the shirt over his head and quickly unfastened the belt on his trousers, casually tossing it on a top of the pile of his clothes. His eyes narrowed a bit dangerously when he studied her form, still in her fine dress, fully clothed.

"Very well, I believe it is your turn now, my darling." his voice was somehow husky and utterly irresistible. She couldn't take her eyes off of his naked, slightly tanned torso. When he came closer, she felt bold enough and placed both her hands onto his warm skin. Suddenly realizing the significance of the whole situation, she peered at him from under her eyelashes, feeling rather shy.

"May I?" he asked softly, his fingers already tugging at the ties at the front of her dress.

Elise just nodded, her ability to speak extremely fading. She could feel her heart beating wildly, hear her uneven breathing in her own ears and smell his intoxicating scent on her face as he was undoing the laces on her corset. It wasn't like she was naked under her dress but still, this was her first experience of this sort.

Very soon it became obvious that the task he had taken upon himself appeared to be quite tricky.

"Awful things, these laces and.." he trailed off but refused to give up on trying some more.

This time it was Elise who giggled at his words of misery. She slowly took both of his hands and let them fall back to his sides. "You've got your belts, I've got my laces, darling." she tittered.

They both had exchanged rather coy smiles before she started to continue his earlier work. Once that was done, she removed the corset and eased off the sleeves, letting the dress pool around her feet. Now wearing only her petticoat, she stepped out of the circle of her stripped dress and stood still in front him.

Caspian was at a loss for words, never had he seen a woman at this level of underdressing. He also remained sticked to the floor, gaping at her, desperately wanting to say something, anything.

"Y-you are so beautiful." he managed at last, still watching her hungrily.

"Oh stop it, please. You'll make me even more nervous." she uttered shyly and let his strong arms encricle her body as they had done many times before. It felt a bit different this time when they had got rid of their clothing, it was like they were even closer together. And yet it was not close enough.

"I don't want to make you nervous. But to me, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on and I can't really explain how happy I am that you are going to be mine." he told her honestly, his eyes sparkling with love and admiration.

"Caspian, I.." Elise began but was silenced by his forefinger upon her lips and a slight shake of his head.

He then scooped her up into his arms and she gasped but let him carry her into the bed. He laid her gently on the soft mattress and watched her shift aside so that there was enough space for him to join her. He did without a hint of hesitation, lying on his side, one hand supporting his head and the other one caressing Elise's cheek as he gazed down at her with tenderness.

"If you are tired, we can just go to sleep. I promise I won't leave your side." he murmured and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He could sense her trepidation and he was quite nervous, too. He was sure that Elise wouldn't leave the next day, they didn't have to rush into things, they could wait.

"I want you to kiss me again." she half-whispered and this one sentence made them both certain that going to sleep was out of question.

Caspian instantly crushed his lips onto hers, kissing her hungrily and passionately, his hand coming to rest on her hip. She responded as eagerly, throwing both her hands around his neck, one gently scraped the sensitive skin there, the other one travelled further up into his hair. He moaned in pleasure, breaking the kiss for a short moment to reward her with his wide grin and to let them both breathe in some very needed air. When she urged him to lean back down, he kissed her more slowly, tenderly. But after a short while he abandonded her mouth and began to trail kisses along her jawline, then he continued down to her neck. A wave of thrill and excitement washed over her and she tilted her head to grant him even better access to her sensitive spots. She let out a soft moan, feeling how she was slowly losing the control of her own body as she found herself drowning in this new strange sensation. Caspian kissed his way down to her collarbone and his fingers delicately eased off a strap of her petticoat, letting it slip down as he placed some kisses on her shoulder as well.

"Caspian.." Elise moaned his name and he came to a stop, searching her face for any sign that this was not what she had wanted.

"Is that alright?" he asked in a low voice, his body awkwardly tense.

She grinned at him and nodded vigorously, "Yes. Yes, you are doing great." And she took advantage of the break, using all her strength to flip them over so now he was lying on his back with her on a top of him. She allowed him to experience the same thrill and excitement when her wet kisses showered his neck, keeping the track further down. His hands were gently stroking her back before he firmly gripped her hips. There was no barrier to prevent her from trailing her lips all over his naked chest and abdomen and as she was reaching lower, he started to wriggle beneath her and his cries of pleasure became more frequent. She then made up her mind that it was the time to get him out of his pants too, so she moved her fingers onto the buttons and got to work, accidentaly ghosting her hands over his manhood which immediately reacted to her touch and she heard Caspian hiss in an almost painful way. She took her hands away on the instant and watched him get into a sitting position.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" she spoke quietly with her eyes casted aside.

"No. Not at all." he pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. "It was perfect." he said to put her at ease. Then he motioned for her to sit aside so he could remove his pants. "But I will rather do this myself, your touch is quite too much to handle." he gave her a broad smile.

Elise couldn't help but stare in anticipation but of course he still had his underpants on. Raising her eyebrows, she gave him a meaningful look. "What about this?"

Caspian looked down reluctantly, then back at her. The corner of his lips quirked up, "Only if you take this off." he gestured towards her piece of garment.

She bit her lip, thinking, but then nodded, "Fair enough." And she pulled the white satin petticoat over her head, while he got rid of his underpants.

"So beautiful." he breathed when he set his eyes on her again, his gaze lingering on her breasts before reaching her face, now adorned with a decent blush.

She also had taken a brief look at his stirring erection and it only added the colour to her already scarlet cheeks. But she had no time to think about it for he laid her back down carefully and searched her expressive orbs for any kind of disapproval but when she gave a small nod, he kissed her eagerly and wasted no time lavishing her neck and breasts with hot kisses while his fingers tenderly caressed the sensitive skin on her side. Her hands raked through his fine hair, tugging lightly when he took one of her nipples in his mouth, teasing it with his tongue. She arched her back as to press even more against him, not being able to contain her own pleasurable cries any more. They both were guided by their natural intuition and instincts and though he seemed very unexperienced, Caspian proved to be a truly attentive lover.

Elise's mind was completely blank, she couldn't think at all, just feel. His hot breath upon her skin, his gentle fingers touching the most sacred places of her body, his mouth devouring hers in a heated kiss. All her nerve ends were tingling with this burning sensation he had made her feel over and over again.

His hand then slid across her inner thigh, tentatively reaching her entrance and he could already sense her wetness through her panties she still had on. He gingerly pulled it off with a little help from her and positioned himself in between her open legs. Brushing his lips against hers, he rasped, "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't." she breathed while running her hands over his back in a soothing motion.

He leaned down and captured her mouth with a lingering kiss, trying to enter her carefully and possibly spare her any pain and hurt. She felt incredibly tight and so he jerked his hips forward more forcefully, eliciting a shrill whimper from her.

"I am sorry, so sorry my love." he stuttered before pressing his forehead against hers, giving her time to get used to him. The feeling of being burried inside the woman he loved more than the life itself was beyond words and he also took the moment to relish it.

The sharp pain that she had endured when he had penetrated her was fading away and her body was getting more relaxed. "It's alright, I think I'm fine." she purred softly when he raised his head and glanced down and she tucked the hair which had covered a part of his face behid his ear. She noticed his usually soft brown eyes were almost black now, his hair disheveled from her previous attention and his mouth slightly open as his breath hitched, and he looked absolutely gorgeous like that. But then he bent his head back a little and closed his eyes, pulling out from her just a bit only to push forward again, more slowly and deeper this time.

Feeling him move inside of her made Elise bite back a moan and naturally arch her hips to meet his rocking rhythm while her fingers were digging into his back. An unknown tension started to build up within her core and spiraled up her whole aching body, so she also closed her eyes as to let herself enjoy the overwhelming pleasure even more. His hesitant thrusts turned to be more firm and vigorous as he set the pace of their hips slamming against each other and the tension was growing more intense, begging for release. And she knew she was close so she grabbed his perfect butt to help him keep the rhythm and do exactly what she needed him to do, to make her fall apart.

A low groan escaped his mouth and carried on to her ears, making her skin prickle in the most pleasant way. With one or two more snaps of his hips she reached her high and cried out, the sound echoing throughout the room and the wave of sheer extasy instantly enveloping her, causing her body to go limp and her brain to stop functioning.

Caspian had felt her shudder and clench around him and had heard her cry out before he found himself engulfed in her wet heat, the sight of her writhing beneath him and riding out her climax was enough to send him over the edge as well. He pushed forward frantically and let out a deep throaty moan as he came, spilling his seed inside of her. For the moment it seemed like the Earth had stopped spinning and his vision faded to black. He felt his knees giving way and a second later he collapsed on top of her but still with enough care as not to crush her.

"I love you." he had cooed into her ear before he nuzzled her throat affectionately.

Elise stroked his hair and tilted her head to a side so they were lying face to face, "I love you too." Then she leaned even closer and pressed her lips onto his.

He cupped her cheek and deepened the kiss, feeling that his cock was softening and slowly slipping out of her. They both instantly realized the loss of their connection, Elise moaned into the kiss and Caspian swallowed it with delight, rolling over to lie on his back and pulling her with him, allowing her to nestle against his chest. When she finally found the comfortable position, he threw his arms around her protectively, holding her tight.

"I can say I will never get tired of this." he announced confidently, though his voice wasn't completely back to itself yet.

Elise let out a quiet giggle but when she sensed how his seed started dripping out of her, staining her inner thighs, she grew more serious. "Don't you think that what we've just done is by all means inappropriate?"

Caspian couldn't see her face now marred with doubt and so he continued with ease, "Highly inappropriate, I would say." he sniggered.

He heard her sigh which made him quickly add "But we are going to get married as soon as possible, so you don't have to fret about breaking the royal etiquette."

"What?" she asked incredulously and raised her head to look him in the eye.

Now Caspian's face was marred with a frown as he gave her a puzzled look. "Of course we are getting married, we belong together. You are mine now, Elise."

"You didn't even propose!" she muttered resentfully and enjoyed watching his bewildered expression. "In our world, woman usually has a few partners before she decides to marry."

"Are you saying that.." his eyes widened and she could tell that her words had made him feel very uncomfortable. Not being able to see him like that any longer, she pushed herself up and captured his mouth with a smoldering kiss.

When she broke away, she placed a small peck on his nose and grinned playfully at him, "I'm just saying that your traditions and customs are much different from ours."

Caspian visibly relaxed after that and beckoned to her to snuggle up with him once again. "Tell me about your world. Is it really so very different from this one?"

"Umm.." Elise hummed while thinking of the answer, "Yes and no. Some things are actually very alike but there are many others which are not. And I believe my world is very different from the one that the Pevensies come from as well."

"What do you mean? I thought you all came from the same place." he asked, a bit dumbfounded.

"The same place, yes. But different time. I mean, from my previous talks with Susan I've assumed that their world is my place but sixty years ago." she tried to explain the situation for him. "The war which is currently raging in their world now, is long time over in mine. We live in relative peace now, we've got TVs, internet and cell phones. The women are perfectly equal to men, in politics as well as in their jobs. We also tend to dress more like men because it's much more comfortable. If only did you see my outfit when I arrived here!" she laughed when she recalled what she had worn that day, a pair of shabby jeans torn right under the knees for an effect and a kind of oversized hoodie with some ridiculous imprints on it.

Caspian was gently caressing her arm, listening to her intently. Her laugh coaxed a smile from him too but all of a sudden it faltered as a thought occured in his mind, "Will you miss your world a lot? Your family, friends.." he trailed off.

"Not that much." she reassured him. "You know, my mother died when I was a small child and my father got married again five years ago. But Kathryn has never been a mother to me. She's got a daughter of her own, Priscilla, and they both see me as an irksome burden. Unfortunately my father is too in love with the woman to care about my point of view or my feelings." she sighed absently.

"I am sorry, sweetheart. It seems we have these family issues in common." Caspian murmured and rubbed her arm soothingly.

Elise chuckled, "Yes, it seems we do. I'm quite positive that no one gives a damn if I return or not." Then she went still for a second as she had remembered probably the only person who would be missing her, "Except Nathan, maybe."

She didn't fail to notice that Caspian's body tensed up after mentioning it. "Nathan? Is he a friend of yours?" he strived to sound indifferent but she knew better than that.

"No. He's my brother. Well, he's Kathryn's ten-year old son and he's the person I will truly miss. You know, I'm sure he would love it here! I can imagine him exploring this huge castle for days and how thrilled he would be to meet the Narnians!" she mused aloud, getting a bit carried away with her chain of thoughts.

"Maybe he will find a way here as well." Caspian suggested warily, he wanted her to have hope but was afraid of her great disappointment if it had never happened.

"Maybe." Elise agreed and placed a kiss on his collarbone as to show her appreciation of his insight.

The moment her lips touched his skin he felt his body began to stir anew and he longed to be inside of her again. He impulsively tickled her side and she pushed herself away from him, laughing hard. "Cas-Caspian! Stop! S-Stop it, it tick-tickles!" she stammered during her erruptions of laughter.

He eventually stopped, admiring the happy expression on her face, he wished to always see her like that, her beautiful eyes sparkling with pure joy, cheeks delicately flushed and her luscious lips quirked up in a charming smile. "Did I tell you just how much I love you, Elise?"

She held his loving stare, her heart pounding in her chest and breath hitching. "Show me."

Seconds later their moans filled the air of the small and cozy room as they were making love together all over again, Caspian showing and proving his unconditional love for her.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: All right, this chapter wasn't originally planned but here it is anyway :) I hope you like it and thank you for putting up with me, I know my writing is lame but I'm trying :x Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think. Thanks! :x :x :x

 _ **Chapter 3 - A Proposal**_

The morning arrived a way too soon, the sun was peeking in through a small window, warmly touching a side of the king's face. He slowly began to wake up, taking the time to open his sleepy eyes. His whole body felt tired but in a very pleasant way and he let out a sigh of blissful contentment. Elise's back was wonderfully pressing against his front and his left hand was protectively draped over her waist. When his eyes opened at last, he was met with a mass of her crimson locks splayed across her back and covering the upper half of her body. Tempted as he was, he drew the curtain of her hair aside and placed several feather-like kisses on her shoulder blade. She moved slightly, also waking up.

"Good morning, my love. I am sorry if I awakened you but I just couldn't help myself." he mumbled huskily with a mildly apologetic tone.

Elise turned around to face him, still rather drowsy but when she glanced up at the man by her side, the corners of her lips instantly curled up in a bright smile. "I could get used to this, you know. Good morning to you too."

Caspian closed the gap between them and they shared the first kiss of a new day. But it was harshly interrupted by urgent knocks on the door and Susan's voice full of concern. "Elise? Are you up yet? Is Caspian there with you?" she asked the last part more quietly.

The two immediately parted and Elise gasped as she heard what the queen had said. "Oh my God! How does she know?" she gave Caspian a perplexed look but he only smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "I confided in her. You two seemed to be very close and I had no clue how to approach you."

"Are you kidding me? So how much of what we did last night had been her idea?" Elise snapped, glaring daggers at him.

"Oh no! Don't underestimate me or yourself, dearest. I bet no one saw this coming." he winked at her and gently nudged her arm, watching as a sheepish smile was already forming on her lips. "Come on, do you want me to make up for it?" he offered and pulled her towards himself, his hands tenderly gripping her hips whilst he nuzzled her forehead, then he tilted her chin up to kiss her properly.

"Caspian", she had to bite back a moan, "don't do this.. now."

"Hey, guys. I'm still here and.. I can hear you!" Susan's indignant voice called from behind the door. "Caspian, Aslan has been looking for you. He awaits you at the courtyard."

"I am coming!" the king shouted in the direction of the wooden gate and hastily leaned down for one last smooch before hopping off of the bed, starting to dress up.

Elise bit her bottom lip as she watched him getting dressed, finally having the opportunity to admire his naked body. To her, he was simply perfect and she smiled inwardly realizing that he was hers, that she was the one privileged to see him like this.

Her expression was easy enough to read though, and Caspian rewarded her with a toothy grin. He had decided to only put on his pants and shirt, folding the rest of his clothes over his arm. With his other hand he grabbed an apple from a bowl on a table by the window, walking back to the bed.

"I am quite hungry after such a night. I will have breakfast promptly delivered to you up here." he told her and kissed her cheek. "Will see you soon, my love." and he marched towards the door.

"Caspian", she made him pause, pouting at him, "I really need a bath."

He chuckled and gave her a nod of understanding, "Of course. I will take care of it, sweetheart." They both exchanged smiles and with that he left the room, while Elise collapsed back onto the soft mattress.

Susan stepped aside as she had heard Caspian approaching and couldn't help gawking at his dishevelled appearance when he had opened the door.

"Good morning, Susan." he greeted her cheerfully with a sloppy bow and took a bite of the fruit in his hand. Not even waiting for her reply he hurried through the corridor to get to his own chambers, directing the maids he met along the way to prepare a bath in both his and Elise's quarters as well as bring them both some breakfast.

Susan stared after him incredulously, then shook her head as to get rid of the unpleasant thoughts that had flooded her mind. Turning back to the entrance to her friend's room, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door once more, already grasping the door's handle. "Elise, I'm coming in."

When she emerged inside, her eyes promptly slid down to the dress lying on the floor in the centre of the room. She picked it up and glared disapprovingly towards the girl still wallowing in bed. "Really, Elise? How could you be so reckless?"

Elise reluctantly sat up, clutching a blanket at the base of her neck to keep herself covered. She looked the same way bedraggled as Caspian did but Susan didn't miss the fact that Elise was positively shining and her expression was one of utter bliss. "I.. I don't know. I guess I didn't think at all, it just happened. And Su, he was so..." she didn't finish for the queen had cut her off abruptly, raising her hands in front of herself, signalling to her friend to stop.

"Okay, fine! I don't want to hear that!" she gave her a friendly grin but then returned to her rather dignified self again. "Now it's going to be really tough for you to return back to our world." she said with clear remorse in her voice.

"I'm not returning with you. I'm going to stay here, Caspian told me..." her sentence was yet again interrupted by the tall brunette. "This is not up to you to decide!" she yelled in exasperation. "Or Caspian." she added more softly and let out a heartbreaking sigh.

Elise's happy face was fading away as she listened to the other girl's words, trying to process them. Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes and her lower lip quivered when she spoke quietly, "I can't go back, Susan. I can't be without him."

The Gentle Queen came to sit on the bed but did not feel like meeting Elise's sorrowful gaze. "You perhaps don't think so but I understand how you feel. That's why I hoped that you wouldn't get so much attached to this place as I had before. I know it may sound disheartening, unfair and.. wicked, but it's just how it is."

Right when Susan had said that, someone knocked on the door. They were maids coming to prepare the bath for Elise and carrying a tray with her meal. But her appetite vanished with the queen's cruel words. She clutched the blanket more tight to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she silently started to sob.

"I gotta go." Susan sighed. "And please, hurry up. Aslan wants to speak to us, too." She turned to her friend and her heart almost broke, her own eyes suddenly getting wet. So she dragged herself up to her feet and took her leave.

"The bath is ready, milady." one of the maids addressed Elise cautiously, buts she continued sobbing.

"T-Thank you." she faltered in between her sobs, paying no mind to the retreating maids nor the tray placed on the table. Her world was shattering. If what Susan had told her was true and she really had to return back to her world today, how was she supposed to live without him by her side? How could she go on, knowing that she would never see his handsome face ever again? Grudgingly, she got up from the bed and walked to the side room to get ready for the day.

Caspian had no idea what had transpired in his beloved's chambers as he was striding through the castle, fresh and clean, heading for the courtyard where the mighty lion waited for him. He found him by the widely branched tree with his back on him, apparently gazing somewhere very far.

"It is about time, Your Majesty."Aslan had spoken up before turning around to face the young man who kept his head bowed low, both in respect and shame. "Please, have everybody assembled here as soon as possible." the lion instructed with his resolute voice.

Caspian nodded and turned to leave but then he paused, "Aslan, may I..."

"Everything at the right time, Your Majesty." the lion briskly stopped him and the young man gave another nod of acknowledgement though he looked nothing but confused.

Some time had passed before Peter, Susan and Elise made an appearance at the courtyard as well. Elise didn't fail to notice that the lion's gaze had lingered on her a moment longer than on the other two and she wondered whether he was somehow able to sense what had happened between her and the Narnian king last night.

Gathering all her courage, she wanted to open her mouth and address the mighty cat, beg him to let her stay. But before she did, Aslan had roared, making them all shrink backwards. "There are things that even I cannot predict." he started and Elise had a feeling that it was meant just for her. "But some things cannot be changed though I wish I could. Queen Susan, High King Peter, please take a walk with me." The mentioned couple stepped forward, joining the lion's side. "My dear Elise," Aslan spoke to her at last, "I believe our talk must wait until the assembly is gathered here." And they all made their way past her frozen-like form, marching towards the castle's gardens.

Elise followed the threesome with her sad eyes, being on the verge of tears again. She spotted some people already coming for the gathering so she climbed the few stairs up onto a small stage-like area and sat on a bench near the majestic tree. Soon enough Lucy and Edmund came into sight and they strode directly to her on the instant they had registered her sitting there.

Lucy frowned when she had observed her demeanor, "You look so.. sad." she muttered, her eyes slightly widened with her natural concern.

"No, Lucy. I'm fine, really." Elise lied and she wasn't a good liar at all. The small girl regarded her with a disbelieving look.

Elise sighed, "It's just.. Lucy, what do you do when you feel you are losing your hope?" she asked the young queen wistfully.

Lucy then took her hand and squeezed it lightly, offering her brightest smile. "Hope is something I'm never going to lose. And you should not either."

Both the girls hugged each other while Edmund had been watching their whole interaction completely dumbfounded.

The courtyard was almost fully crowded and Caspian was seeking the huge lion to tell him that his requirement had been accomplished. The king ran into him as he was walking through one of the castle's archway together with Peter and Susan.

"Your Majesty." Aslan acknowledged him warmly and witnessed his exchange of looks with the Gentle Queen.

"We are ready. Everyone has assembled." Caspian informed them soberly but was growing more and more anxious with every passing second. Elise was nowhere to be seen and he began to worry about her. He hesitated for a moment before leaving for the courtyard as well.

He sighed in relief when he saw her in the company of queen Lucy and king Edmund on the small stage with the tree. His instinct was telling him to rush to her and gather her tiny form in his arms, to feel her warmth, to make sure that she was real and still here. But right then Aslan appeared there with Peter and Susan in tow, beckoning to him to join them all on the stage. He did as he'd been asked, stealing glances at his beloved when he was drawing nearer. He could tell something was amiss, no longer was her face shining with happiness and she looked like she was about to cry. The sight of her filled his heart with dread and made his breath catch in his throat.

But he strived to remain composed, for his sake and hers, as he came forward and stepped up in front of his people, giving them the king's first speech. He announced that the land now belonged to Narnians as it did to men and if anyone had wished to leave, Asland would have created a portal to send them back to the world they had originally come from. It turned out that it was the same world as the one of Kings and Queens of Old. General Glozelle volunteered as did Caspian's aunt and the lion indeed opened the portal for them. It was a split in the middle of the grand tree and when they walked through it, they vanished. The crowd huffed and hummed on the instant, people being afraid that they might be led to their death. On that account, Reepicheep offered to take his eleven mice through to prove their protests needless. And then, High King Peter spoke up.

"We'll go." he said simply but resolutely enough. "Come on, the time is up. After all, we are not needed here anymore." And he made a few steps to hand over his sword to Caspian.

"I will look after it until you return." Caspian promised to him.

"I'm afraid that's just it. We are not coming back." Susan stated with a rather sad voice.

"We are not?" Lucy asked, taken aback.

"You two are, at least I think he means you two." Peter told her hesitantly.

"But why? Did they do something wrong?" Lucy still didn't seem to comprehend.

"Quite the opposite, my dear. But all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learnt what they can from this world. Now it's time for them to live in their own." Aslan explained for her kindly.

"And what about Elise?" Lucy pried further.

It seemed like everything went still at that very moment. Elise's and Caspian's eyes locked and they tried to tell each other so many things with that intense stare, Elise felt like she couldn't breathe and her knees got terribly weak. "Please, let me stay." her heart screamed, almost beating its way out of her rib cage. Caspian became all tensed up and he simply couldn't wait for anyone else's reply to that dangerous question.

"She will stay here." he spoke up with a raspy voice, turning his face to the people. "For I have chosen her to be the future Queen of Narnia and my wife. If she'll have me." he added the last part gently enough and turned to her expectantly.

"Well, my dear, what do you say?" Aslan encouraged her with his kind, deep voice.

Elise desperately wanted to say it but her tongue was like glued to the palate. But she nodded vigorously, and her answer was more than clear to everybody who had witnessed the scene. In his outburst of joy Caspian lifted her up and swirled around, carefully placing her back on her feet afterwards but never letting go of her. They gazed into each other's eyes, ignoring their surroundings, and they shared a long, slow, melting kiss.

The crowd broke out into jubilation and the Kings and Queens came to express their congratulations. Susan felt truly happy for her friend and Caspian, suddenly growing certain that she would also get her happily-ever-after, even if not here in Narnia. "You two have been made for each other, you know." she said to both of them merrily.

Elise smiled up at her with appreciation and absentmindedly rested her right hand on her belly. And when she glanced down and up again, now aware of her hand resting on her belly, she just thought of one particular reason why she had been allowed to stay.

THE END


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